IMPROVEMENT OF HORSES. 
159 
courage, as if he were conscious of his royalty—so strangely 
and strikingly blended with unexampled docility, and amia¬ 
bility of dispositon, as to impress the beholder with the highest 
admiration. 
That all the horses imported into this and other countries, 
as Arabian, however, are really such, is, to say the least, very 
doubtful. 
The Barb is a native of Barbary, Morocco, Fez, Tripoli, 
and other countries in the north of Africa, and in beauty of 
form, is said to surpass the Arabian, though smaller in size— 
usually under fourteen hands—and inferior in spirit and fleet¬ 
ness. It is from this breed that most of our so called Arabian 
horses are derived, and that the Spanish horses and their Amer¬ 
ican descendants took origin. 
The Bournon, of more central Africa, is said by some trav¬ 
elers to excel either of the first two described, combining the 
beauty of the Barb with the superior qualities of the Arabian. 
The Dongola, apparently native to the kingdom of that 
name, differs from the foregoing in being considerably larger— 
16 fhands high—bnt will hardly come into much favor because 
of his narrow chest, flat quarters and flanks, and “ carped 
back.*' 
The Persian Horse ranks in the estimation of many ama¬ 
teurs, next to the Arabian, to which he is indeed equal in speed, 
though wanting in endurance. Famous, in the days of Alex¬ 
ander—who thought it the worthiest gift he could bestow on 
his friends—he is still sacred in his native country, and the ad¬ 
miration of the traveler in the East. Xenophon, in his u An- 
basis,” gives interesting accounts of them as cavalry horses, 
and of the manner in which they were managed by their grooms. 
Proceeding eastward, we come next to the 
Horses of Tartary, some of which, particularly the Toor- 
koman, are distinguished for their powers of endurance. Many 
regard them as superior to the Persian. A journey of 900 
miles in eleven days, has been performed by them again and 
